It Is Your National Guard
Captain William S. McDaniel, Commander C-1/263rd Armor
You`ve seen the armory, you`ve seen all of the cars in front of the
building, and you`ve seen the tank on display. You`ve probably asked
yourself on occasion, "What do they really do?"
A simple answer would be that "C" Company, 1st Battalion, 263rd Armor
Regiment is a tank company that trains to operate as part of a larger
force when called upon for action. Well, a simple answer does not even
begin to illustrate what your...yes, your...local unit of the South
Carolina Army National Guard does. Everyone is familiar with the
domestic-support missions that are given to the National Guard, and have
seen the troopers of the command in action when mobilized for the more
recent natural disasters that have plagued the Conway area. Yet there is
so much more to what goes on.
Many people are confused with the designation "company." That does
not imply a business, but means an organization of approximately 100
soldiers. The Conway unit is designated "C" Company as part of 1st
Battalion, 263rd Armor. That means there are two other tank companies A
(Marion) and B (Dillon) that operate as part of a larger team. The Conway
unit, or C Company, is organized to be about 100 soldiers, non-comissioned
officers, and officers.
The purpose of a tank company is to close with the enemy through fire
and maneuver, and defeat him with firepower and shock action. Tank
crewmen are direct descendants of the horse-soldiers. The branch insignia
still bears the crossed sabres of the cavalry, and the branch color is
cavalry gold. The aggressiveness, esprit, and elan of the cavalry are
traits still inspired in the modern trooper, although his mount is no
longer horse-flesh, but 70 tons of metal. He still carries a pistol or a
carbine, but he has a 120mm main gun to replace his sabre. The spirit of
Hampton, Stuart, Sheridan, and Patton still are taught as examples of
initiative, offensive spirit, tempered patience, and loyalty to their men.
The tank company crews fourteen tanks. In addition to the jobs of
tank crewmen, there are many other important jobs that can be found within
the company. A unit maintenance section keeps the tracked and wheeled
vehicles running. A transportation section provides needed truck
transport for the unit. A supply section provides needed supplies and
services, and fixes weapons on site. A medical section provides emergency
medical services, and monitors the health and hygiene of the company. A
mess section provides food services and hot rations when tactically
available. Communications specialists keep the radios going, and a
nuclear, biological, and chemical (NBC) defense specialist provides
experience and advice on keeping the troopers protected from this
devastating type of warfare.
In addition to those jobs, there is a full-time staff who does the
basic administrative functions. Unit readiness, training, and supply
sergeants see to the operations of these basic functions that have to be
accomplished daily. A recruiting sergeant is also in each armory, to help
those with questions about enlisting, and to offer advice for troopers
with the progression of their career in the National Guard.
What kind of person joins up to be in a tank company in the National
Guard? Well, almost every profession or trade is represented:
teachers,electricians, clerks, farmers, high-school and college students,
construction, fire, police, paramedics, salesmen, lawyers, computer techs,
you name it...it`s probably there. Many people join up after leaving a
tour on active duty, and want to still serve in a part-time capacity.
Other still enlist straight into the National Guard. Make no mistake
about it, the tales of misfits and wash-outs trying to avoid active-duty
service are just that: tales. There is no room for the person who seeks
to avoid doing his duty for his state and nation.
Teamwork is a foundation-stone for the company. Although there are a
multitude of jobs, each soldier seeks to do his best so that the whole
"family" succeeds. We have people from almost every background and every
race. Here, there is but one color: green.
Soldiers form the heart, soul, and muscle of the company. These are
the guys who are the "doers." They are the tank crewmen, the mechanics,
the drivers, the cooks, the technicians. They are what makes the company
work. Without soldiers, the unit is worthless. Over time, capable
soldiers are promoted to the NCO corps, or volunteer for Officer Candidate
School (OCS). These junior ranks go from Private to Specialist.
Non-commissioned officers, or sergeants, are the backbone of the
Army. They oversee the daily operations of the unit, lead by example, and
possess experience and wisdom. The NCO corps builds soldiers, and teaches
soldier skills. The NCO ranks found in a tank company go from Corporal to
First Sergeant. The First Sergeant, the senior NCO in the unit, is also
referred to as the "father of the company." There are about 30 NCO`s in a
company. These men are the mentors and guides of soldiers.
Officers implement and direct Army policy and regulations, and unit
missions. They focus on training organizations. There are 5 officers in
a tank company. There are three platoon leaders who are are Second
Lieutenants (the most junior commissioned rank) who leads a tank platoon,
and is responsible for all that his platoon does or fails to do. There is
an Executive Officer (First Lieutenant), who oversees logistics, operates
the company command post (CP), and is second-in-command. There is one
Captain, who commands the company and is responsible for all that the unit
does or fails to do.
The type of training that the troopers do may involve tactics, either
force-on-force against other people, computer simulators not unlike flight
simulators, and walk-through training. Gunnery training may involve live
fire of the tank main gun and machine-guns, live-fire using subcalibre
devices, or computer simulations. Small arms firing is also conducted for
the entire company, not just those in the tank crews. It is a requirement
that each man qualify yearly with his assigned weapon for record, and that
each tank crew qualify on Tank Gunnery Table VIII.
Training may be done at the armory, or places like Fort Stewart
(Georgia), Fort Jackson (South Carolina), Fort Irwin (California), or Fort
Knox (Kentucky).
"Operations Other Than War"(OOTW) are also a focus with humanitarian
missions to trouble-spots, whether at home or abroad.
Still, the unit is your unit. The National Guard is the most
immediate and visible link between the civilian population and their
defense policy. You have a local command made up of your family members
and friends, business partners, and neighbors. When the unit goes
somewhere, the troopers refer to the unit not just as "C" Company, but as
"Conway," their home. They seek to honor that by doing their best. The
last rotation at the National Training Center located in the Mojave Desert
in Fort Irwin, California, saw "Conway" setting the pace.
The troopers of this command serve their community with pride, and
look forward to continuing to do so. As I said, it`s "your" company.